Latino Equity Fund

Latino Equity Fund is sponsored by The Boston Foundation. The Latino Equity Fund provides annual grant opportunities for Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits, with a focus on achieving greater and more equitable access to economic prosperity and well-being in Greater Boston and Massachusetts.

Creating more equitable access to prosperity and well-being The Latino Equity Fund announces $600,000 in grants to 24 Latinx-led and Latinx-serving organizations LEF's FY26 grant cycle prioritized Basic Needs services and Economic Mobility programming, reflecting LEF's deep commitment to investing in community partners that offer stability to our families and advance long-term economic prosperity and well-being.

Read the grant announcement . The Latino Equity Fund (formerly the Latino Legacy Fund), a unique partnership between local Latino leaders and the Boston Foundation, is the first Latino-focused fund in the Commonwealth.

The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) uses its influence and platform to amplify diverse voices and perspectives within the Latino community and beyond in Greater Boston and the state, with a focus on achieving greater and more equitable access to economic prosperity and well-being. To learn more, please contact Javier Juarez, Executive Director of the Latino Equity Fund, at javier. juarez@tbf.

org . LEF Grant Opportunity: The Poderosas Fellowship Recognizing the critical need for development professionals within Latinx-serving organizations, the Poderosas Fellowship will expand and strengthen the pipeline of development leaders who authentically represent and champion Latinx progress across nonprofits in our state. This fellowship will equip emerging Latinas with the skills, resources, and networks needed to thrive.

Now in its second year, LEF will award five fellows with $5,000 each. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 3rd 2026, at 6:00P. M.

(ET). ¡Pa’lante! 2025: The Latino Equity Fund celebrates Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month The Latino Equity Fund will once again host a series of community celebrations and forums throughout Boston that will feature Latinidad, music, performances and delicious local cuisine.

¡Pa’lante! 2025 LEF’s annual community partner celebration honored JC Morales and Jim Canales for their outstanding leadership and service. See photos from the event Dia De Los Muertos Concert at Symphony Hall In partnership with the Boston Symphony Orchestra A Mexican tradition comes alive again as the Boston Pops returns to celebrate Día de Muertos .

Join us for an evening filled with music that honors this rich cultural heritage where life and death intertwine in a beautiful tapestry of remembrance and reverence. Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall In partnership with IBA and the BSO Continuing the BSO's exploration of Caribbean stories and music, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra makes its Symphony Hall debut under the direction of Maximiano Valdés.

¡Pa’lante! 2024: A Decade of Impact Community Forum Series The Latino Equity Fund hosted a series of community celebrations and forums from June-October 2024 that featured Latinidad, music, performances and delicious local cuisine. Thank you for joining us!

Check out the ¡Pa’lante! 2024 series recap Watch LEF's community partner video series Contribute to the Latino Equity Fund We partner closely with nonprofits, funders, government leaders, and the private sector, leveraging the strengths of the Latinx community to educate stakeholders about issues and surface the most effective solutions to achieve systemic change.

Since it was established in 2013, the LEF has raised more than $6 million, established an endowment to support the Latino community in the Commonwealth in perpetuity, made over $2. 4 million in grants to community-based organizations, and created a dynamic platform to increase and galvanize Latinx philanthropy.

Over the past few years, the LEF has evolved from a grantmaking entity to an emerging civic leadership engine, commissioning research and reports that address critical issues facing the Latino community and other communities of color and lead to policy change. Click to view the December 2025 Latino Equity Fund grantees Each of the following organizations is receiving a $25,000 grant in LEF's 2025 grant cycle.

Boston Community Pediatrics Brazilian American Center (BRACE) Brockton Workers Alliance Latinx Community Center for Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project Revival International Center Veronica Robles Cultural Center Welcome Immigrant Network Women Encouraging Empowerment THE LATINO EQUITY FUND’S UNIQUE ROLE Research, Convening & Policy : Lift up the power of data to inform the public—raising awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the Latino community— and identifying more effective and innovative solutions for them.

Engage with leaders and policy influencers on issues and work with partners to affect policy and positive change. Leverage Philanthropic Resources : Partner with individual donors, foundations and companies with aligned missions and values to deploy resources to impactful Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations—helping to build their capacity and lift up Latino leadership.

Partnerships & Collaboration : Collaborate with grantee organizations and other strategic partners to advance the economic prosperity, health and health equity of the Latino community—and in doing so, the region overall.

Photos by Angela Rowlings Latino Equity Fund Research Read the State of Latino-Serving Organizations Read Brazilians in Greater Boston Read Powering Greater Boston's Economy Your donation, driving impact Community support for the Latino Equity Fund has made it possible for the Fund to: Commission a major research report which evaluated the social and economic return on investment in the region’s ESOL system .

Produced just before the COVID-19 pandemic, this report may prove to be an important baseline for further analysis on the connection between ESOL and post-pandemic employment levels. Develop a wide-reaching and culturally sensitive educational campaign in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This campaign connected thousands of Spanish-speaking individuals to information and resources for support.

Provide rapid response grants to a dozen Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits across the state. Double the impact of funds directed towards the city of Chelsea by matching $16,000 in received donations.

In total, the Latino Equity Fund was able to contribute over $80k towards emergency relief through a combination of funding from the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund, the Latino Equity Fund and dollars entrusted from members of the community.

Other Past Grants Information December 2024 grants press release December 2023 grants press release June 2023 grants press release 2020, 2021, 2022 grantees Read the 2019 grants press release View a list of 2014-2016 grantees Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico News from the Latino Equity Fund The State of Latino-Serving Community-Based Organizations in Massachusetts Commissioned by the Latino Equity Fund and conducted by the Mauricio Gastón Institute at UMass Boston, this report takes a first-of-its-kind look at the geography, scale and reach of nonprofits and grassroots initiatives serving Massachusetts Latinos.

The Latino Equity Fund announces $450,000 in grants to 13 Latinx-led and Latinx-serving organizations The grants, made through an open request for proposals this fall, bring the Fund’s total grantmaking to over $2. 3 million since 2013, with $1. 2 million distributed since Javier Juarez became the Fund’s Director in early 2023.

Read the December 2024 grants press release Javier Juarez, Executive Director of LEF, honored on the Chamber Foundation & City Awake's 2025 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders list Named annually by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Foundation and City Awake, this recognition celebrates the bold leadership of 10 honorees for their innovative approaches, leadership, and steadfast dedication to improving their communities and industries.

Read the announcement here Javier Juarez, Executive Director of LEF, honored on the Boston Business Journal’s 2024 40 Under 40 Read Javier's profile here ¡Pa’lante! A Decade of Impact 2024ed marks the 10th anniversary of LEF's first grant cycle as an established equity fund at TBF. To commemorate LEF’s impact as the only philanthropic fund dedicated to Latinos in MA, the Fund hosted a community celebration at Bow Market in Somerville.

Thank you for joining us to celebrate! Highlights from LEF's 10 Year Celebration Massachusetts is one of six states to attribute all of its population growth to the Latino population, but the Latino community continues to be underfunded. A report by Hispanics in Philanthropy showed that only 1.

3 percent of spending by U.S. foundations is specifically targeted to Latino programs, even though Latinos are the fastest growing part of the American population, and comprise nearly 25 percent of all children and youth. The Latino Equity Fund is looking to change that. Since 2014, the Latino Equity Fund (formerly the Latino Legacy Fund) has provided annual grant opportunities for Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits.

The program was paused in 2017, so the Fund could partner with the Boston Foundation to found Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico, the Massachusetts effort to help the thousands of Puerto Ricans affected by Hurricane Maria. With the support of Boston Mayor Martin J.

Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker, MUPR raised more than $4 million to help with emergency needs, recovery and support for the thousands of Puerto Ricans temporarily or permanently displaced to Massachusetts.

Powering Greater Boston's Economy In 2017, the Fund worked in collaboration with Boston Indicators and the Boston Planning and Development Agency on the publication of Powering Greater Boston’s Economy: Why the Latino Community Is Critical to Our Shared Future, a first-of-its-kind report on the impact of the growth of Greater Boston's Latino population on the region's demographics and economy.

The report highlighted the sharp growth in Greater Boston's Latino population since 1980, noting that virtually all of the City of Boston's population growth since 1980 can be attributed to its growing Latino population. Even so, the report noted that Latino representation in leadership, government and business sharply lags the overall population percentage.

The Latino Equity Fund presents a unique opportunity for donors who want the flexibility of supporting a broad range of organizations and initiatives while meeting the future needs of the Latino community. Any individual, family, or organization can support current grant making through gifts by check, credit card, distributions from Donor Advised Funds or gifts of appreciated stock or other assets.

Here is more about the many ways to support the Latino Equity Fund: Planned Gifts – The Boston Foundation offers a full range of planned and legacy giving options. Planned gifts may be made to the Latino Equity Fund through bequests, retirement plan and life insurance gifts. In addition, the Boston Foundation offers charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts, all of which may benefit the Latino Equity Fund.

Outright Contributions – The Boston Foundation can accept all types of gifts into the fund including cash, publicly traded securities, restricted stock, real estate, and more. Donor Advised Funds – Donors with existing Donor Advised Funds can recommend a grant to the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation.

Succession Plans for Existing Giving Vehicles – Donors with a private foundation or Donor Advised Fund can name the Latino Equity Fund as the successor entity to their giving vehicle. Call 617-338-1700 for more information. Contribute to the Latino Equity Fund The Latino Equity Fund Advisory Committee Member , The Boston Foundation Board of Directors Joseph Betancourt, M.

D. , M. P.

H. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph. D.

Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción Membe r, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors Co-Founder, Amplify Latinx Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors Phillip O.

González, Co-chair Metrowest Health Foundation Vice President Engineering & Construction Surfside Capital Advisors Co-Founder , Latino Equity Fund Chief Community and Health Impact Officer Director, Mauricio Gaston Institute Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer Boston Children's Hospital Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Co-Founder , Latino Equity Fund Executive Vice President and Client Portfolio Head - Asset Managers in North America